Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Ayla: Wow, the house got all hot fer 2 days. But I wanned to mentioned how clumsy fat Iza is.

It was rainin some Sunday, but not real bad. We were eatin our dinner (Friskie Turkey and Giblets,(a favrit), when an esplosion occurred! It was horrible! The whole house lit up AND the BOOM came at the same time. We all puffed up and scrabbled fer the bed ta hide unner.

Now, ya gotta unnerstand that is a tricky manuver... Ya gotta change straight right from the kitchen ta tha hallway and straight right again from the hall inta the bedroom. The kithcen is this smotth stuff ya can't get a grip on and the hall is hard smooth wood what ya can't get a grip on either. It can be hard ta run around here fast.

LC an me know about that, so we know how fast we can run and not slide. LC knows to slide a little slow ta stay on the floor. I learned how ta jump a little an spring off the walls (well, LC lives 2D and I live 3D, what can I say?)

Iza, however is a clumsy thing. And fat! She weighs twicet what I do.

So as I was running down the hall, I heard Iza screach as she slid right off the stairs goin out of the kitchen! I wasn't about ta stop an go back to help cause I wanned ta get unner the bed as fast as possible.

She did recover fast and run back up the stairs. Then she ran down the hall fast an tried to make the turn into the bedroom and crashed into the door frame. LC an me were unner the bed. So we dint see it, but we heard it. We both cringed. Then we laffed!

When she joined us, she actally mewled a little, so LC an me both licked her a bit. I licked her head fer comfort an LC licked her side what hit the door frame. We had to calm her down, ya know?

Well, The Big Thing came an stuck his head unner the bed. He talked ta us fer a while ta calm us all down, and let us know the house was OK and we were safe. He pushed some Fancy Feast unner the bed too. That helped.

But I'm still laffing at Iza fallin all over the place and not bein able ta get unner the bed ta safety as deftly as LC an me. MOL!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

We are too hot here. The cool air machine died yesterday. The Big Thing turned on some whirly-fans, but it doesn't really help much. We dint sleep very well last night. It got up to "87F" here this afternoon. Yuck!

We spent most of today outside. It was the same temperature, but there was shade and wind, so it wasn't too bad.

A stranger came in the house today (a pretty rare event around here). He used a buncha of tools (with The Big Thing watchin him real careful-like the whole time an askin a buncha questions). It finally became clear that the whole cooling machine has ta be replaced an TBT is real bummed about it. Apparently it is like more green papers than our foods and vet bills cost our whole lifes!

[TBT: I have a heat pump. The failures, (the condensor and a circuit board, at least) were serious enough to justify a complete replacement. The outside unit was 15 years old and so inefficient that it it isn't even legal to sell it anymore. The serviceman said I would save at least $300 in electricity per year. Actually, I will save more than that. The unit had been causing problems before. I discovered I had been on "emergency heat" all of January and parts of December and February, and that cost almost $1,000 in added electrical costs. I just hadn't noticed that the outside unit wasn't coming on. So I had been using "electrical resistance heat" for 2 months. Who goes outside in January to examine a HEAT pump? And that was just because the outside fuse had blown. I didn't even know there WAS an outside fuse!

Interestingly, the serviceman asked if there had been a lightening strike. Well, the night before the heat pump failed, there was a simultaneous flash/boom out of nowhere. I even jumped, and the cats all went scrabbling under the bed. Considering that they all started on a linoleum floor and they had to turn a 90 degree angle onto a wood floor hallway, it was quite a sight. Ayla and LC managed it, with difficulty, but Iza actually went down several stairs before she could stop and turn around, AND missed the turn into the carpeted bedroom. Ayla wants to describe it, but that is for another day...]

But he says not to get worried. He has enough green papers. On the other paw, he deleted the bookmark for the bass boat he wanned to get. So we guess we won't be gettin any fresh fish fer a while. Oh mousie-droppings; we were lookin forward ta THAT!

But we would trade a FEW fresh fish fer the coolth again.

We been told that a buncha strange beins will be here early tomorow ta replace the inside an outside stuff so we can haf the coolth again. It might take all day though, and TBT wants us ta stay inna bedroom so that we dont get unnerfoot or outside out front (where we are not allowed to go). Mostly, he doesn't want the whole thing to be installed an then hear a kittycall from inside the machine afterwards. [TBT: Ayla and Iza get inside the strangest places - LC is far more sensible]

More tomorow after it is all done...

UPDATE: We just got let out of the bedroom! The noisey strange Beins are gone. They were here ALL DAY! We could tell the machine was fixed cause we suddenly smelled cool air comin out the, um, "cool air thing on the floor". But it is going ta take a while for the house ta cool down, so we are goin outside now...

We confused him and wouldn't eat the Tuna and Shrimp, but that was just the first night. We all secretly agreed ta turn our noses up at any new flavors, but when he gave us the saved bowls the next day, we just licked the bowls clean!

It was hard followin our agreement that first night, and Iza really whined about it. She doesn't unnerstand how ta manage Big Things yet. But we both whapped her a few times an she backed away. An yeah, we let her eat her fill the next morning. But we did remind TBT that WE decide what we will eat. I think...

Annyway, we are loaded with cans on the shelf again so we are good fer another several months.

LC: Wow, The Big Thing really knows how ta get excess fur off! I had developed clumps on my back legs an he got those off! Well, its my fault. I don't like being picked up or grabbed or anything like that.

But I have ta get a thyroid medicine twice a day. He useta just hide it it cream cheese and make me eat it, but lately he has some wet stuff he squirts down my throat. I don't like that, but I don't get ta choose.

So annyway, holding me for the liquid stuff, he noticed I had REALLY clumpy fur.

O Drat...

He held me in his lap and tried to brush them out. That dint werk cause they were really tight. So he used a comb. I dint like that. No, not at all. I even mewled a few times.

So then he got some Bein-quality little snips. That din't hurt anny, but I dint like it. an fought a lot. Let's just say it took 3 whole days ta get the furclumps out.

And he got better at brushing (holding the fur before he combed it so it din't pull the skin, ya know)? Well, I DID tell him ta do that...

But I feel SO MUCH BETTER now, and I'm glad he did it. I can lick my leg furs easily an they stay nice an smooth. I think iffen it happens again, I will not fight it so much.

Well, some, just for respect, but you know what I mean.

The cool thing is that all my lost furs go out in the compost ta go inna garden. So I become part of the garden. Neat!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

AYLA: Well, The Big Thing took away all the underwear from my great softie spot (so all I got is the kitty bed on a pile of socks on a mattress), but he put them all inna box (with a shirt he doesn't like). And I FOUND IT!

AHHHHHHHH!

I love it SO much. It is a pile of soft stuff AND it is a box. Could it be better? Well, yes, the cloths could be warm from the dryer, buts let's not quibble about that yet.

Friday, July 17, 2009

LC: Well I never thought it would happen! Ayla comed over and slept next ta me!

The Big Thing was WAY surprised, and grabbed the camera. It wasn't on the stand, and the cammera aint too good when he hand-holds it, so this is the best we got.

Since Ayla was bein nice, I dint whap her.

Not even when she moved around some an woke me up. She sat nose to butt. Thats OK with ME. As long as she doesnt squirm around TOO much. We whispered about Iza.

Mebbe I can make her an ally against Iza. Iza being real bossy an whappin lately.

AYLA: Mebbe I can make LC an ally against Iza. Iza been real bossy an whappy lately.

----------LC and AYLA, A Duet:

(Chorus) So we’re makin an alliance against Iza.Gainst Iza! Gainst Iza!She whaps at our tails,On the deck, next to rails.In the halls.Along the walls,And evry room in the house!

(chorus)

She lays down in the hall,With her feet against the wall,When we just walk by at all,She pushes from the wall.

(chorus)

An knocks us off our feet,Which makes us hiss and bleat.When attacks come from below,How can you ever know?

(chorus)

From above, attack’s a “pounce”,But from below, is it a “downce”?Attacks that hit our lower pawsAre strategies that give us pause!

(chorus)

Thankfully, The Big Thing sendsUs messages that this must end.He brings the sprayer into playWhen Iza thinks she has her way.

(chorus)

We plan our moves past her, we two,So Iza cannot get a go.But sometimes one is out outside,An cannot help the one inside.

(chorus)

So now when Iza plans her moveShe finds that there are more than twoTo thwart her sneaky “downcing” plans.We’re glad The Big Thing has 2 hands!

----------

Aftermath: The Big Thing now sees when Iza is poised with her feet on the hallway wall, ready to push off an knock us off our feets, So he stayed near wif the water bottle an gave her a good shot right in her ear just as she was launchin at me today! She ran like she been snakebit. Yay! An he says he will do it more iffen he has to. I mean, we got a RIGHT ta walk around our own house with out being “downced”, right?

The girlcat needs some disciplinatin, ya know?

THE BIG THING: I have to agree that Iza has begun to throw her weight around a bit too much and needs to be taught some good household manners. LC is down to 6.5 pounds (from 8.5 pounds a year ago), Ayla is UP to 6.5 pounds from 5 .0 pounds 18 months ago, but Iza is 10.5 pounds in spite of being youngest and only 8.5 pounds when she arrived 6 months ago. She is getting to be a bit of a bully, and it is time to put a stop to that.

Iza hates the spray bottle and I regret deeply to say that she needs a little training to restrain her aggressive nature... It worked when she got too clawey at the furniture.

I have to stop this tendency of Iza to attack LC and Ayla from below. If she just whapped tails, that would one thing. But sliding under LC and Ayla when they are just walking past and tripping them from below is different (and weird). That has to stop...

Thursday, July 16, 2009

We are not pleased! We SAW The Big Thing scritchin a neighbor kitty while lookin out the front windows. He thinks we dont notice this stuff, but we do.

It happened some days ago, but we just found the pictures on the puter...

He was werkin on somethin in the front yard (where we are NOT ALLOWED ta go) an this new indruder came up and without ANNY reason at all just started rubbin on TBT an he started scritchin HIM right back with a fare-thee-well!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

AYLA: I got another wild bunny today! I was so thrilled. I was exhausted though cause it was nearly big as me! The Big Thing saw me comin across the lawn wif somethin in my mouth. Then I JUMPED up to the deck 5 feet above HOLDIN it in my mouf. He was amazed an ran ta get the camera.

I waaned him ta see what I caught cause he allus praises me about it. But I didn't want that tripod camera thingie all around.

So he took the camera loose. That was OK. Some of the pictures aren't great cause of that, but I felt more comfortable.

What I dint figure was that Iza would come runnin out! Bast, she annoys me all time when I catch somethin! She is all grabby, but its not hers or annythin. It was all TBT could do ta even get a picture of me an the bunny. I moved aside ta rest a bit (I was SO tired after all that werk catchin and draggin it). I was efen pantin wif my mouf open an all!

So Iza went sniffin at it. I dint mind that. If it helps her learn to find them herself, that's good. Skeeter caught bunnies an let me sniff and paw at them, so Iza gotta learn the same way.

But then she bit the bunnie's butt and it suddenly jumped up an ran right off the deck. We both chased it, but Iza is really stoopid about grabbin animals an she kept gettin in my way. Grrr. Mebbe I'm not teachin her well. I wish Skeeter was here ta help teach her. He was good at that and I am not!

So I pulled it out of the weeds a coupla times and let her pounce it. It got away every time! Iza would definitely starve if left outside...

Like I said, some of the pictures aren't good. TBT really needs that camera tripod thingie.

I finally left her ta try an find it one last time while I rested on the deck watchin her. She dint.

I dint feel like catchin it again..I'll admit Iza was determined. She sniffed and pawed aroun fer it fer an hour. But she nefer did find it (even though TBT could even find it a few times).

TBT called me inside and gave me some canned food of my own. That was good.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

LC: I was nappin onna deck, when I saw Iza suddenly run off an run over ta Ayla who was sittin onna lawn playin wif something. Turns out she had caught another mousie (yawn). But Iza was thrilled. She ran ofer ta watch.

Well, Ayla lost interest. She catches SO MANY mousies, she doesn't efen eat half of them. I hate to say it, but she might be better at catchin then than Skeeter. In fairness ta Skeeter, though, he loved eatin the more than Ayla does.

So when a squirrel attracted Ayla's attention, Iza grabbed the mousie and ran up on the deck. I yelled at The Big Thing that the camera was all filled up, but he didnt come an empty it. So I got no pictures ta show od Iza playin wif it fer an hour out on the deck. Argh!

Friday, July 10, 2009

THE BIG THING: Well, I didn't have any great expections for the 3rd Addiction flavor "Unagi and Seaweed" mixed with Friskies Chicken. And I was right. None of the cats would go near the stuff. They sniffed, Iza licked it, but not even Iza would so much as eat any...

I know that some cats like the Addiction canned foods, but mine sure don't. And I made sure they were hungry when I offerred it. I gave them 1/2 the regular canned food for breakfast each time, and they still didn't want to eat the Addiction canned foods.

Maybe they are just too used to the Purina and Fancy Feast, but I have to say that they just didn't want anything to do with the Addiction canned foods. LC and Ayla had the same aversion to Merrick and Evo canned food.

They like the Addiction dry stuff just fine, though. Apparently, they are all less fussy about dry crunchies. LC considers Hill's Science Diet dry food to be treats, so I reserve it for that purpose. None of them like standard kitty treats (dry or soft).

But they don't seem to like the Addiction dry crunchies any BETTER than Meow Mix or Authority, so I won't be bothering to get the the Addiction dry stuff once it is used up.

I will try them each night with a small pure portion of each first , mix it with 75% mixture of regular Friskies Chicken flavor if they don'r like it "pure", and give them pure regular if they don't eat the mix. Don't worry, no cats will go hungry by only being given something they don't like to eat.

The purpose here is to see what they LIKE to eat; not what they are WILLING to eat if starving. I wouldn't do that to them. If we waste a bunch of food for a couple weeks, well that's life. At least I will know what they PREFER to eat.

And I plan to try to incorporate a few home-made foods into the process if I find any good recipes. A local newspaper vet has a recipe for home-made cat foods that would take hours to find all the ingredients for (my area is not big on health-food stores that carry the weird ingredients), but I see no reason I can't try them on poached chicken breasts all minced up, hamburger, ground lamb, and squished whitefish.

Oh my, I seem to be talking myself into a more complicated feeding arrangement than I expected. I better hold off on the REAL MEAT food til later...

Monday, July 06, 2009

AYLA: I do think I have achieved the ultimate softness. It did take some werk, but I have been directing The Big Thing with firm suggestions ("firm" suggestions for "softness" - I crack me up, MOL!). I have been gradually accumulating improved napping space with available houshold goods...

First, there was The Mattress. Very soft, but not sufficient for my Princess sensitivities. I been sleepin on a pile of socks on the matress fer several Big Moons.

But that wasn't soft enough...

Then I found the "old undershirts". Washed clean, of course. I directed that they be added to The Mattress.

But then, I noticed Skeeter's old kitty bed. No one was using it (not a respect thing, just no one used it). Tonight, I had The Big Thing wash and dry it (gentle wash, no bleach; tumble dry low heat.)

Finally, I instructed that the pile of used socks (again, washed of course) be added to the kitty bed.

I don't think it can get anny softer than that. Besides, anny higher and it might fall over when I hop up on to it fer a nappie. An if Iza tries ta get onit, I will bite her ears...

Sunday, July 05, 2009

AYLA: It was terrible noisey last night! Oh we hate that. Happens every year at the the start of the hot times! Big Bangs an POPS and Sizzle noises an stuff. We all go run unner the beds an hide. We discuss the cause sometimes. LC thinks the Beins are shooting the food what goes inta the cans for us ta eat. Skeeter used ta think Beins were celebratin his birfday, but she dint think so cause they dint celebrate her birfday that way. Well, shes been around a long time an been watchin Beins a lot, so shes probly right. She does know stuff!

But she hides, so we do too. Experience is important!

The Big Thing sat next ta the bed wif us in the noisiest time and said it was "OK", that he wouldn't let us be hurt. That was good. After it stopped, he crawled unner the blankies and we eventually all came out an curled up around him. We slept good.

LC: Plus, we kept Skeeter in our thoughts all day yesserday, cause it would have been his birfday... In honor of that, The Big Thing was cookin chickens and he kept one piece free of weerd flavors just for us. It was very good! Iza nefer met Skeeter, so I told her what a good brother he allus was ta me and of some of the adventures we had. She liked that and said it would be nice ta haf a brother...

Saturday, July 04, 2009

AYLA: We hadda new food taday! It was Natural Choice Chicken an Lamb. We aint nefer tasted lamb afore, so we kinna backed away fer a moment. But we kept sniffin it . We all looked at each other like "is this OK ta eat?" Iza started eatin it, then I did. LC watched us carefully. When it was clear we liked it, she at some too.

It wasn't exactly like our Friskies, though. We felt full quicker. And we kept moving around from one bowl to a other.

The Big Thing allus puts our food bowls a little more than a cat-length apart (cause who wants anothers kitty tail swishin in yer face while ya eat?). But we allus eat in the same place. LC likes the left end, I like the right end and Iza eats in the middle. Iza been allowed ta eat wif us again cause she has stopped trying ta eat all our foods. I defended mine, but LC used ta leave when Iza wanted more food. Well, Iza has learned ta be polite and LC has gotten more assertive in protectin her food bowl. So we can all eat tagether again!

Our opinion was that this stuff was pretty good. Almost all meat, ya know? We usually clean the bowls of Fiskies, but we didn't quite with the Natural Choice. But we sure did eat it. And not mixed wif our usual stuff. Just straight from the can.

Thursday, July 02, 2009

IZA: Annything can be a toy ifen ya put yer mind to it! The Big Thing has these boxes of nose-blow tissues, and sometimes they get empties. He usually stomps them flat and adds them to the big box of old noospapers. But He dropped one a few days ago and I pounced it afore he stopped on it.

Ya see, it got a neat slot fer pawin into and I hadda blast doin that fer 2 days. TBT was amazed.

So he watched me fer awhile, and got the great idea of pushing a ball inta it. WOW, 100 times better toy! I pawed inta that box fer hours tonight. But I kept pullin the ball out (it was a practice "golf ball" wif slots init and I hooked it out wif my claws). So he changed that fer a smooth rattley ball. That was funner. But I finally got THAT out. So he put it back in an taped cardboard on the opening ta make it too narrow ta get the ball out.

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

THE BIG THING: This morning, I tried mixing 25% of the Venison flavor with one of the standards. LC and Ayla ate a small amount and Iza ate a 1/2 bowl, though she kept walking away and returning to it. It was clear she was hungry, but didn't like the Addiction Venison added to the regular food. She made covering pawings at the bowl. I relented and gave them some regular unmixed Friskies. They ate it all.

Tonight, I tried the "King Salmon&Potatoes" flavor on the cats. None of them would eat the least bit of it.

Again, I tried adding a 25% to their regular stuff. No go! Not even a few licks. That surprised me, I figured salmon would be a hit. After a half hour of begging from them, I rinsed out the bowls and gave them pure "regular". Friskies Turkey and Giblets this time... They licked the bowls clean.

It might be the strange vegetables mixed with the meat. What cat wants to eat apples or potato?

Two flavors down, two to go. I think I will wait a few days to try the others... I still have 1 of each Addiction flavor and I have an idea. I will buy individual cans of other "primo" (expensive) brands and see if they fare any better with the cats. And I will use a standard chicken flavor of Friskies to mix it with each time.

Well, maybe they are all just addicted to Friskies... ;) At least that would be a control factor to the experiment.

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About Us

..........................................The Green House, Maryland, United States

..........................................Two girlcats and a boycat sharing space with The Big Thing that has a lot of strange powers and control over our lives. But we love him anyway...
The Big Thing is the Provider of Stinky Goodness, Opener of Doors, Cleaner of the Litter Boxes, Protector from Thunder and Other Loud Noises, Tosser of Toys, Giver of Treats and Kitty-Crack, Scritcher, Calmer of Hissy-Fits, and Warm Body.